#protest pop

“Which Side Are You On” was written by activist and poet Florence Reece in 1931, during the Harlan County War, a nine year conflict between the United Mine Workers of America and the mine operators, local law enforcement, and National Guard. Florence was married to a coal miner and organizer, Sam Reece—she wrote this song after the sheriff and his men ransacked her home in an attempt to find her husband and kill him. 

Sam Reece managed to escape that night, though the mine operators did eventually get to him: he died of black lung in 1978.

The Preacher and the Slave (Pie in the Sky), lyrics by Joe Hill, to the tune of In the Sweet By-and-By. Sung by Cisco Houston.

Put My Name Down, lyrics by Irwin Silber and music by Woody Guthrie. This is actually the only version I could easily find. 

We sang a modernized version of this at camp.

  I've got a brother in Stalingrad, I though you knowed

I've got a brother in Stalingrad, way down the road.

On many things we can agree, and he wants peace just like me

I'm gonna put my name down

  Put my name down, brother, where do I sign?

I'm going to join the fight for peace, right down the line

Ashes to ashes and dust to dust

if you don't sign up, the world goes bust

This Land Is Your Land, with full original lyrics. Most emotional impact if you sing along alone in your room in a key that's a bit too high for you to easily manage. 

For a crowd singing, you can listen to this version, led by Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger. At the Obama inauguration. It's got a lot going on. It includes the extremely important line, "I saw my people. As they stood hungry, I stood there whistling, this land was made for you and me," but actually changes the line from the original, "I stood there asking, is this land made for you and me?"